Testing Water LOT 1 – Brewing the 2005 Gan En Ban Zhang Part 2

 

The 2005 Gan En Ban Zhang is a semi aged puerh tea. The tea has shred most of its youthful green characteristics and is in the initial stages of developing dark characters with low and heavy notes. The tea leaves are giving and provide a substantial brew with strong Cha Qi.

Testing Water LOT 1 – Natural Springs from Australia, Fuji, Iceland, Scotland Part 1

 

The clarity and purity of the natural spring water and underlying sweetness in the above bottles highlights the quality that is missing in my local tap water. From left to right i) Scotland, ii) Fuji, iii) Iceland, iv) Australia

Looking for Improvements - Water for Brewing Tea

For much of the last 5 years I have relied on my Amway eSpring to purify the local tap water and provide me with the water I need to brew my tea.  It is a practice of convenience and one that has yielded satisfactory results but fails to put a shine on some of the teas I know can really excel with the right water.

Reflecting on Teas with Cha Qi – A Personal Experience

Natural and organic farms, wild tea trees that grow naturally in a biologically diverse environment that is thriving with life provides the source for quality tea leaves that possess good Cha Qi.

An Appreciation of Cha Qi

Translated text from the article An Elementary Introduction to the Qi of Tea by Gao You Cheng, The Art of Tea No.2

The Influence of Weather on Tea – A Hot Summer

A blue sky that provides little shade from the sweltering sun means that rising temperatures are close to 40C in high humidity.

This year’s hot and humid summer in Bangkok has been stifling and things will only become more heated as we enter the peak months of April and May. As a result I can feel myself becoming more and more drawn to bitter and astringent teas as a means to help dispel the buildup of heat from inside the body. Over the years I have noticed this craving for bitter and astringent tea to come more regularly as the thermometer starts rocketing up. Despite tea being a hot beverage I find that brewing and drinking bitter tea is deeply satisfying to my body at this time.

Top 10 List of Articles

 

A selection of my top 10 list of articles from The Guide to Puerh Tea to invoke your thoughts and add to your appreciation of drinking tea.